William R. Olden

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now to carry 750 lbs [pounds] between them, but now the road was three fourths of the way a descent & they got along very well we went on & after about two hours walk my companions began, to feel the heat of the sun & had to proceed more slowly. I accordingly left them & proceeded after the baggage which was now some distance ahead. I had delayed some time with them & was now 7 miles from Panama the horses were two miles ahead & I had to walk fast to overtake them. I walked the distance in less than 2 hours & overtook the horses about one mile from the town & got in before 5 oc [o'clock]. My companions got in in the evening completely worn out one of them had hired a horse some distance off & rode in I was not as fresh as a daisy but had a good deal left in me yet – we stopped at the Americano Hotel & a comfortable bed & substantial meal were matters not to be despised, it took about three waiters to hand me provisions they disappeared so rapidly the next morning I was as fine as silk & have continued so ever since; in fact, the place agrees with me perfectly I have never had better health than I have enjoyed here, a number of the Americans have been sick but every case was the result of impendence, there has been several deaths, but if a man will drink eat fruit & take no care of himself what else can you expect – I remained two days at the Hotel & then joined a party who had engaged room out in the town at a dime a day (a piece) my mode of life is as follows, in the morning I get of my landlady a cup of chocolate & two bread rolls 1 dime to eat with this I have panocha that is cakes of sugar ungrained with the molasses in them it is like Maple sugar in taste & is quite as good & makes an excellent substitute for butter

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with bread forms my meal. I have eaten very little meat and I think that the less one eats the better, there are but few fruits here, the pine-apples are good but scarce and dear and the others are not worth much as the people are too lazy to raise them. Occasionally I dine at an eating house when I have a fancy for meat but my principal diet is vegetable as it is decidedly the best for this climate particularly for a person using but little exercise.

At the time of my arrival, steamer tickets were rather at a discount, the California had been due for at least six weeks and the return trip from California and it was supposed her crew had deserted her there and that the head been unable to come back in consequence. The Oregon was not due but might have the same fate and in that case my ticket and the others would be rather bad stock. The Panama was coming around the Horn but the California tickets would have the precedence of ours on her (dating earlier). I arrived here on Saturday evening and the next Saturday evening we sailed on the Oregon.

I have seen excited men before but never saw the equal of this; the whole American population collected on the Battery to see her. Many were the surmises and guesses as to which one it was, all being due; at last her boat coming in proclaimed the Oregon. One universal shout proclaimed the satisfaction at the news and the ticket holders became perfectly crazy, danced, cheered, pushed & some formed themselves into Californianthumpian [Callithumpian] Bands, few either of the Americans or copper-colored citizens of Panama slept that night; the noise was perfectly deafening, the great problem had been solved – a steamer could go to San Francisco and come back without being deserted by her crew; she gave us the following news. The California had got those before her coal, the chief engineer had refused to do duty and was put in irons, all the crew except the officers had deserted, coal having arrived in the mean time a U.S. Frigate gave her a crew, and The Oregon gave

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an engineer, she was to leave two or three days after the Oregon. On the next evening Sunday the Panama came in; she drew a large crowd but did not create the excitement that the previous arrival had done but it silenced the angry disputes between the Oregonites [Oregonians] and the Californians for the possession of the steamer, the latter claiming from priority of date and we from the simple fact that we had bought tickets on her; the matter would have terminated seriously if the Panama had not ended the dispute.

The Panama sailed last evening the 11^th, she had her coal on board when she got here, was ten days getting her water and putting up a few extra berths.

The Oregon sails on Tuesday or Wednesday next. She will have been here nearly if not quite 20 days, taking 350 tons of coal off of a ship, rather slow work I should think, however, the Panama is gone and we shall soon be off.

The gold! stories continue the same only more so. I feel perfectly confident in my success. I have the best machine that has been got out and with the assistance of two or three men, I shall reap a golden harvest. Do not entertain any fears for my health for I am careful (climate proof) during the time I have been delayed here. I have managed to kill time in various ways. I have made two excursions into the surrounding country. ; one to old Panama, about six miles from here, on the Bay shore; in going there we took one of the regularlar [regular] horse path roads which leads there. Occasionaly [Occasionally] wandering off to observe a Hacienda, or a cattle farm, two or three of which occupy the lands along the way. The houses are built of brick with tile roofs extended over so as to form a verandah which makes them cool and pleasant; the lands are destitute of fences. The rainy season had just set in and consequently the land which was parched with the drought is now beautiful green in fields of one to two hundred acres in extent,

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The grass has a coarse look to me but I expect it is nutritious these farms are considered small having only 5 or 6 hundred acres head on each of them. There are some 15 or 20 miles from here have as many as three thousand – the cattle are medium size & universaly [universally] of a dark cream color with their sides nearly black they are far superior to the horses in size & strength the Bulls are used for transporting baggage from Gorgona here one of them has carried 2 whisky [whiskey] barrels at one time about three loads for one of their best horses – Old Panama presents very much the appearance of one of the cities Stephens has described. The ruins are filled with trees of a hundred years growth – the town was burnt three times by the Buccaneers & finally deserted by the inhabitants who built new Panama some of the buildings are in excellent preservation – one large square tower 4 stories high built of hewn stone walls 6 feet thick is in far better preservation than any thing in New Panama the wood work is almost gone but the walls are almost perfect it was surrounded by walls & battlements part of which are still standing, enough to show what they were – we explored a considerable portion of the ruins & what we found repaid us for our journey – all the buildings were massive in their structure far more so than in the present city.

The timber with the under growth of vines & bushes so dense that it was with difficulty we could force our way after satisfying our curiosity we lunched in a cool shady place on the sea beach & returned home – I saw a magnificent

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variety of the Cactus to day [today] the stable is three sided & climbs large trees like a vine bearing a large yellow flower about 20 inches in circumference not pendulous, but erect firm & beautifull [beautiful]. I expected to have found the sun more oppressive but it is not near so much as at N. O. New Orleans or SLouis St. Louis –

My other trip was on sea shore in the other direction it was on the North side of the bay 'tho' the beach runs directly south here & there along the shore are the remains of what were once the country seats of wealthy Panamanians, the houses still remain in a some what dilapidated state the fruit trees & every thing close else about them show that civilization existed from 50 to 100 years ago – & that nothing has been done since, in fact, cultivation has ceased among these people they merely gather the fruits from trees planted long since, the banana plantain sugar cane pine apple & grow wild – the termination of my stroll was a cocoanut grove containing at least one thousand trees loaded with fruit presenting the most beautiful sight I have beheld within the tropics. They have no limb but are crowned at the top with a dense foliage these interlace so as to form a dense shade entirely excluding the rays of the sun. The tree is tall & slender – every year it sheds a circle of leaves; which leaves a distinct mark in the surface which indicates a years growth.

This mark is permanent by counting them you the age of the tree a shot from my rifle bo't [brought] down a nut & also a drink of fresh milk which is an exceedingly pleasant beverage. My rifle (a Wesson) has been my constant companion since I have been here & has afforded me much amusement – there is very little game property so called immediately a round the town, but as the water of the bay is very shoal near the town extensive flats of rock & sound are left bare by the tide, & which are favorite tramping ground for the cows they are perfectly white & make a